


Silver Lining

by joacamole



Category: Joaquin Phoenix - Fandom, Joker (2019)
Genre: Cast Crew, F/M, Joaquin Phoenix - Freeform, Joker - Freeform, Movie Crew - Freeform, Movie Sets, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22521034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joacamole/pseuds/joacamole
Summary: Two complicated people finding comfort in each other.
Relationships: Joaquin Phoenix/You
Comments: 7
Kudos: 34





	1. First Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a fic so please be patient as it won't be perfect. There might be some mature writing in this fic that might not be ideal if you're sensitive to sexual content, so I advise you to not read if that's the case. Thank you for choosing to read and I hope you like it. Enjoy!

Today was your first day on the set of Joker, and you knew that you couldn't be late. This was your first time working on an actual movie set, so you had to be very professional. You already knew Todd Phillips from a family member that had worked with him when you were younger. Todd had called you about two months ago asking you to join the set crew and help with coordination, you accepted but was hesitant since you haven't really had much experience in film. 

You finally arrived on set and you could tell that everything was already so chaotic. Crew members were everywhere trying to find their places and cameramen were placing themselves a distance away from the street to capture all the garbage that was laying around. 'Hey, I'm glad you made it! We're about to start filming so if you could start getting people into place that would be really helpful', you were startled by Todd's voice but recognized it right away. 

It didn't take much work to get all the extras into place, everyone had cooperated so well with your directions. As they started filming you focused on the dancing clown in the middle of the sidewalk. He was holding up a sign and dancing around while all the people around him just passed by, not a single soul paying attention to him. 'And GO!', Todd shouted. Suddenly a group of kids began to run towards the clown, instantly knocking down his sign and running away with it. The cameramen rushed behind the clown that was now running at full speed around the streets of Gotham city. You were intrigued by all the sudden movement and started running with a group of extras to try and catch a glimpse of the action. 'Stop them!', the clown yelled hysterically but no one even batted an eye. You saw the same group of kids kicking the clown and hitting him with the sign he had been holding earlier. A few minutes in and Todd yelled, 'cut!' Just like that you fell in love with this movie and the story behind it. 

Hours had passed, the cast and crew were ready to call it a day. It had honestly been such a long day, but you couldn't have been happier with the turnout of all the hard work that had happened today. 'Good job with the coordination today! Everyone cooperated so well with you', you heard a voice approach you from behind, it was Todd. 'Thank you, Todd, I am so happy that everything turned out fine, I am really looking forward to working with this cast and the entire crew. Everyone was so nice and sweet', you couldn't help but praise the people around you. 'I'm glad you're feeling comfortable with the people here, by the way, have you met Joaquin yet?', Joaquin? That name sounded so familiar, yet you had no idea who it was. 'No, I haven't met Joaquin yet', you were curious as to why Todd had mentioned him but decided not to say anything. 'He's great, a little bit intimidating but I think you'll get along with him very easily', Intimidating? That doesn't sound very pleasant. 'Maybe I will’. 

It was beginning to get very late and you were ready to head home. You were so hungry since you hadn't eaten anything all day except for a piece of bread and some coffee in the morning. This gave you an idea to make an adjustment in the morning, pack more snacks. Most people in the building had already left since script read through for tomorrow's scenes had already ended about an hour ago. It was eleven at night and it was beginning to rain a little bit, quite a surprise since it was just the beginning of summer.

You packed all your files into your bag and was ready to head home. Wait. Where did you leave your coat? You were wearing it just an hour ago. It was beginning to rain harder and your car was a distance away from the building. What if someone took your coat by accident? You didn't even remember where you had placed your coat after you took it off. 'Are you looking for something?', The sudden voice scared you. You turned around and there was a skinny man standing near the entrance. He was wearing a black sweater, black jeans, and some black converse. ‘Yeah, um, I lost my coat somewhere’, you were hesitant to speak to this stranger, but you really needed your coat. ‘Do you remember where you left it?’, the man asked. ‘No, I was wearing it about an hour ago, but I don’t remember where exactly I placed it’. You wanted to continue looking for your coat, but this stranger was already making you uncomfortable. ‘I can help you find it. It’s raining really hard outside, I’m sure you don’t want to get soaked’, you were appreciative of his support, but you really just wanted to leave. ‘It’s fine, I’m sure someone took it by accident, I’ll come back and look for it tomorrow’. It was getting so late now and you really needed to head home soon since you had to be up early tomorrow. ‘Alright then, how about you borrow my sweater. You can just return it tomorrow’, you wanted to pass up on the offer but decided to go with it instead since you really just wanted to get out of there. ‘Are you sure? I really wouldn’t want to bother you with this’, he was clearly not bothered. ‘I’m one hundred percent sure. My name is Joaquin Phoenix by the way, I’m the main actor for Joker’, You felt your jaw drop. No. Way. You are speaking to Joaquin Phoenix, no wonder you didn’t recognize him, he was so skinny.

'Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you, Joaquin. I'm still trying to learn the name of all the cast members. Todd had told me about you earlier today', you were embarrassed over the fact that you hadn't recognized Joaquin, you thought he was just a stranger. 'It's totally fine' he chuckled, 'Todd talked to you about me? I bet he tried to make me look scary, huh?' Considering his current structure, yes. 'He might've said you were a bit intimidating', you joked around. 'Did he now? Well, am I intimidating you right now?' You gave a little chuckle because he indeed did intimidate you, 'just a little bit, but no worries, I'll get used to seeing you around'.

After a couple of minutes of joking around here and there, you decided it was time to head home. Joaquin wouldn't let you leave without his sweater, so you wore it. You thought the sweater was going to be cold since it looked thin from the outside, but it was actually really warm and cozy. You could also smell the scent of his cologne which somehow made you feel safe and comfortable. 

You finally reached your car; it was pouring outside so you couldn't wait to get home. You tried turning on your car but for some odd reason it wouldn't start. Great. This just had to happen at such a late hour when there was absolutely no one was around. You kept trying and trying but the car battery was completely dead. You really were stuck here since there wasn't anyone around to help you jump start your car. You looked around out of curiosity to see what might have caused the car battery to die and you soon noticed that the passenger's side door wasn't completely closed. You had to be kidding. It was almost midnight now and you didn't want to phone a friend to come pick you up, so you decided to order an uber. You weren't a big fan of uber considering all the ways it could go wrong, but you really had no option. 

*Knock Knock* Before you could order an uber, you heard a knocking on your window. Who could possibly be knocking at your window at this hour when everyone had already left? You look to your left and Joaquin was standing outside of your car in the pouring rain. 'Why are you still here?' He asked. 'My car battery died. Do you have a jump start cable by any chance?' You didn't want to ask him that but it was your only chance to get your car running again. 'I don't but if you want I could give you a ride home. I was just about to leave too', You really didn't want to keep bothering this man, but you would rather be taken home by Joaquin than an uber. 'I really don't want to bothe-', You didn't get much out before he cut me off. 'Don't say that. You're not a bother to me at all. I would much rather you get home safe than have you stay here in your cold car at midnight', you were surprised by his sudden change of tone but it also so sweet to see that he actually cared for you. 'Gosh Joaquin, I really couldn't thank you enough', you were honestly so grateful that he was there to save you from your own mistakes.

'How was your first day on set? Did you enjoy it?' He asked you. 'It was amazing, everyone was so cooperative with my directions. Where do I even begin to explain your acting in those very first shots. I saw the whole set come to life when you began your acting, everyone was so eager to follow you and capture every single detail that they could. You really are amazing, Joaquin', he doesn't really like to be complimented but you couldn't help but praise his amazing work. 'Thank you, that means so much to me. I also saw you working with the set crew today and you had every single person on point, it was incredible. Is this your first time working on a set or do you already have experience with this?' You really couldn't believe that he had noticed you working with the crew this morning. 'Thanks, it's actually my very first time working on set'. He made noises of disbelief, 'No way! You were incredible, I really am looking forward to working with you more on this project', you smiled. 'Likewise'.

Half an hour later and you had finally arrived at your apartment. It was a relief to finally be home after such a long and exhausting day but you also somehow didn't want to leave Joaquin. He made you feel so comfortable. 'Hey, um, would you like me to pick you up tomorrow? Just say when and I'll be here', again, you didn't want to be a bother to him, but you couldn't say that. 'Are you sure?' You looked at him with a smile, 'I am more than sure'. He smiled back, 'well then, I'll meet you here at ten in the morning?' You were already so excited to see him, 'I'll be here at ten in the morning sharp'. You really couldn't help by blush at his smile, 'Deal, good night, Joaquin. Thank you so much for the ride', you still couldn't believe he had given you a ride home. 'It's my pleasure'.

You took a quick shower and put on your pajamas. You put on Joaquin's sweater and inhaled the scent of his cologne. A big smile grew on your face. Gosh, this man made you feel some kind of way that was truly indescribable, and to think that you'll be working with him for the next couple of months. Just like Todd had said, you are going to get along with him quite easily.


	2. Ready at Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joaquin picks you up like promised, the rest of the day is quite a mystery

It was almost ten in the morning and you had already packed your lunch and eaten breakfast, and for the first time in several months you actually slept a full 8 hours. So far everything was going great. Joaquin had told you last night that he was going to be at your apartment at ten sharp so you made sure to get everything ready for when he arrived. You were excited to see him again, something about the way he treated you yesterday made you feel so welcome. Maybe it was just the experience of becoming friends with your co-stars, but you've never actually become good friends with any of the people you've worked with so this all still so new to you.

You looked at the time on your phone and when your clock hit 10:00 AM, at that exact moment, you saw Joaquin's car arrive. You didn't actually think he would be at your apartment at ten sharp but here he was. 'Hey you!' Joaquin's voice sounded excited and happy, and you were greeted with the biggest smile ever. 'Hello, I must say, I am very amazed at your timing', you chuckled a bit. 'I said I was going to be here at ten sharp didn't I? Oh, by the way, I bought you some tea in case you haven't eaten yet.' Gosh, he bought you tea. 'Oh, my goodness Joaquin! you really didn't ne- I mean... thank you', you had forgotten that he dislikes when you feel like a bother to him, so you quickly corrected yourself. 'It's no big deal, you know that you can count on me for anything'. A smile rose on your face.

When you two finally arrived on set, the crew was already doing their magic. People were everywhere and many were still getting their costumes adjusted and makeup applied. Joaquin went to his trailer to get ready for when they start filming and you went around looking for Todd. After a couple of minutes of searching you found yourself back at the building you were at yesterday where you lost your coat. You went to the coat hangers and sure enough... your coat was there. Someone must've definitely taken it since you looked for it here yesterday and it wasn't there. 'Hey! Ready for your second day on set?' You heard Todd's voice from behind you. 'More than ready, I've fallen in love with the cast and crew already', Todd let out a little laugh. 'I really am glad that you're getting to know the people here, there's a couple more people joining in next week so hopefully you can to know them and help them with positions'. The crew was already big enough as it is but knowing that Todd was giving you an opportunity at this job made you grateful. 'Sure thing, I'll be there for whatever you need. Oh, by the way, I met Joaquin last night. He was really sweet, but also I was a little intimidated at first'. You didn't expect to talk about the whole you and Joaquin meetup to Todd but here you were. 'Really? Yeah, he looks like a real stranger at first but once you get to meet him, he's incredibly nice, a little complicated but sweet, nevertheless'. You wondered why he said complicated. You were a complicated person but didn't expect Joaquin to be described that way, especially after how nice he treated you last night and this morning. You let it slide and continued the conversation for a couple more minutes.

Filming was set to begin in half an hour, so you decided to talk to the crew beforehand and discuss positions and camera locations. The next location was inside of a small room where Arthur was with the social worker, so you really had to work hard to get the cameramen in the best spots possible for the best angles. So far everything was turning out great. Joaquin and Sharon, the social worker actress, were both going through some final script reading before the camera’s started rolling.

'And action', Todd yelled, and the camera’s began rolling on cue. Everything about this seen was dark and gloomy, Arthur was shaking his leg and smoking like he had just been caught in a lie. He looked in pain, he couldn't make much eye contact with the social worker or else she would know that everything he really wanted was to just disappear from this world. The social worker asked for his notebook and he was even more hesitant, but she kept insisting. Finally, Arthur gave in and handed her his notebook. She flipped through the pages filled with pornographic pictures and random drawings. She suddenly stopped at one page that read, 'I just hope my death makes more cents than my life'. She looked up at Arthur and then back at the page. She decided not to question Arthur as she knew that he was already going through enough pain as it is. Arthur asked the social worker to raise his medication, but she denied. She questioned if there was something wrong with his old medication. Arthur slowly shook his head and said, 'I just don't want to feel so bad anymore'. 

'Cut', Todd yelled. You all felt shivers at Arthur's last words before the scene ended, you could truly feel how terrible this character was feeling. As the crew collected their stuff to head back outside of this small room, Joaquin stayed in his seat. He had to shake off his character since he was still completely in focus. You stayed behind and waited for Joaquin, leaving just the two of you in the room. After a couple of minutes, he finally looked up at you and smiled. 'God Joaquin, you ate that scene up so good. I literally got shivers', you pointed at your arm even though there was nothing there anymore. He looked down at his hands on his lap, 'I almost got distracted'. You were a little puzzled by what he meant. 'By what?' You chuckled a little bit. 'By you', he looked up and smiled even wider. You could feel yourself blushing already. Why would he get distracted by you? 'By me? I'm so sorry, do you want me to move to the back next time?' You weren't really sure if him getting distracted by you was particularly a good thing or a bad thing. 'No, it's fine', he chuckled, 'I like knowing that you're there, it makes me feel more comfortable'. You really couldn't believe what he was saying, was it even real? Was he joking? Was he still in character? 'Well then, I'm glad I could help'.

After a couple more hours of filming quick scenes, the cast and crew were ready to call it a day. Before everyone had left you had to ask someone if they could help jump start your car since you had left it here on set last night. Of course, you caught Todd on his way out, 'Hey Todd, can I ask you for a favor really quick?' He smiled and nodded, 'Sure, what can I help you with?' You really hoped that he could help you or else you'd have to ask someone else for help and it would be really embarrassing to spend the rest of your day asking people to help you startup your car again. 'My car died yesterday, and luckily Joaquin gave me a ride home, but I just wanted to ask you if you had a jump start wire to help startup my car?' He chuckled a little bit, 'Yes, I actually just helped a friend out the other day so luckily I still have the wire in my trunk. Also, Joaquin gave you a ride home? That's so rare of him, but that's also really nice of him to do', is Joaquin never nice to people? You kept wondering why Todd kept making Joaquin out to be someone rude or greedy. 'Why? Does he usually not help out people when they're in need? Does he have some kind of an attitude problem?' You didn't want to get submerged into this subject but it's as if Todd was asking you to. 'I mean, he's a really nice guy, but most people are intimidated by him so it's really not like him to get involved with his co-workers'. Get involved? Who said anything about getting involved? 'What do you mean get involved? He was just showing some common courtesy, he even lent me his sweate-' Oh. 'What?' You and Todd both froze. 'What is it?' You forgot Joaquin's sweater at home instead of giving it back to him. 'I forgot Joaquin's sweater at home. I was supposed to give it to him today'. Todd sighed sarcastically, 'I thought you were going to say something serious', you gave him a look, 'it is serious', he chuckled, 'okay... If you say so'. 

Finally, your car was working again, you thanked Todd a thousand times because this really was your only form of transportation. 'If you need anything else, you know you can always ask me for help', Todd said with a smile. 'Hey!' You heard a familiar voice calling for you. 'Hey, I've been looking all over for you', Joaquin said while panting. 'Or you could always ask Joaquin for help', Todd said with a slight eyebrow raise, 'I'll leave you two alone'. You really didn't want Todd to start making this some kind of joke because you and Joaquin could never be together. 'Okay, thank you for helping with my car', he nodded and walked away. 'Wait you were looking for me?' Your attention was back towards Joaquin and the fact that he was looking for you was kind of surprising. 'Yeah, I just wanted to make sure your car got fixed', with the tone of his voice you could tell that there was more he wanted to say. 'Yes, Todd came and ran some power through it. Is that really what you were looking for me for?' You kind of cringed at the last question, which you one hundred percent did not mean to say out loud. 'Umm... partially yes but also no...', he was beginning to stutter, a sign of nervousness, 'I actually wanted to ask if you wanted to get something to eat?' He looked so cute when he was nervous, 'Of course, how about in an hour?' His face lit up, 'Yes! I'll pick you up at your place', maybe this thing between you two isn't so small after all. 'Sounds good'. 

It's only been day two on the job and he's already made you look forward to so many things in life. You were grateful that a man like Joaquin had shown up in your life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to whoever stuck with this story and continued reading! I know I'm not the best writer but I just wanted to express my ideas into a story. I hope y'all liked this chapter and there's going to be more soon. I've been busy with school lately so I haven't had much time to write but I hopefully I can get some more writing done in these next few days. If there is anything in particular that y'all want to read or know then please feel free to comment. Love y'all! :)


	3. Necklace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were waiting for Joaquin to pick you up for the small "date" you two were going on. You heard a knock on the door and when you opened it... it was not Joaquin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be partially based on your past. People you reconnect with after not seeing them for so long. Joaquin is still present in this chapter but it's mainly between you and two other people from your past.
> 
> Also, sorry it took so long to update... I've been extremely busy with everything going on. I also want to say this to everyone reading: stay safe, wash your hands and try to have the less amount of interactions with people as you can. It will help you stay away from all viruses and stop you from spreading as well. 
> 
> \- I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

You were back home getting ready for the "date" you were going to have with Joaquin. It wasn't really a date but, in your mind, in a way, it was. For some reason you had a tiny crush on Joaquin, he was such a sweet guy and he made you feel comfortable and wanted. You wanted to get to know him little by little.

You wore a messy bun with a tad bit of makeup, this "date" was something casual, so you didn't really want to go above and beyond on your look. You had also forgotten to give Joaquin his sweater earlier, so you decided to wear it tonight, so you don't forget again. You picked out a pair of jeans that you had bought the other day and a pair of white converse to complete the look.

You decided to clean your apartment, not that you were expecting Joaquin to come inside but just in case.

After a couple of minutes, you heard a knock on your door. Your heart dropped with a feeling of nervousness taking over your body.

You headed towards the door and opened it... 

'Matthew?' 

You were confused at the sight of your ex-boyfriend outside your door. 

'Hey, I'm sorry to show up like this but I really need to talk to you...' His face was filled with worry, like he had just learned something horrible.

'Matthew, I don't think now is the right time...' Joaquin was going to be here any minute and you didn't have his phone number to tell him to turn around.

'Please, it's about my mother. She's in critical conditions and she asked to see you. I don't think she'll make it through the night.' You and Matthew weren't on the best of terms after everything that happened between you two, but his mother was someone you had big respect for. She was a woman that taught you all the rights from the wrongs.

'Oh, my goodness, what happened to her?' When you and Matthew broke up, she had told you the day before that she was really sick. You were stupid enough to break things with Matthew and leave her alone after everything she did for you.

'She has cancer, it's- it's too advanced. The doctor said she only has a couple of hours left. It's been a rough couple of months and she... well she really misses you.' Your emotions filled with so much guilt. You wish you had done more to save her from this.

'Fuck... I wish I could've done more to help her', now more than ever you wish you could turn back time and take her to the hospital where she could've gotten diagnosed earlier. 

'Don't... This is my fault, I should've seen the symptoms sooner', his eyes were beginning to get red, he looked disheveled, like he had been crying for hours before coming to your apartment.

'There was no way of knowing. Some cancer symptoms are just too small to notice.' A single tear fell from his left eye. 

Your heart ached for him. He may not have been the most perfect boyfriend, but he was still a good man. You pulled him in for a hug and he began to sob.

After a couple of minutes of him sobbing on your shoulder you finally pulled away. 

'Listen, I was going to go out with a friend tonight, but I'll ask him if we can go out some other time. I'll head to NYU Health hospital and I'll meet you there, okay?' You didn't want to disappoint Joaquin by telling him that there was going to be a change of plans, but you didn't have a choice.

'Okay, thank you again for this. I'm sorry for bothering you.' 

Once Matthew left you closed the door and then rested your back against it letting out a long sigh. You didn't know what you got yourself into, but you knew that this was the right choice.

*Knock, Knock* The sudden knock at your door drifted all your thoughts away.

You opened your door and Joaquin was standing there... His face was worried. Had he seen you and Matthew together?

'Joaquin, hey, what's wrong?' You knew that if he saw you with Matthew, you would have to explain everything to him.

'I just saw a guy crying on your shoulder, I should be asking you what's wrong?' Fuck, he saw you two.

'Joaquin... Listen. The guy's name is Matthew, he is my ex-boyfriend', you could see his eyebrows raise at that, but you ignored his facial expression, 'the only reason he came to see me was to tell me that his mother is dying. I'm really sorry Joaquin but I have to go see her.' His face became softer. 

'Don't be sorry. I can take you to see her. Where is she? NYU Health hospital?' You didn't want to bother Joaquin, but you really just wanted to get there fast, and it would somehow make you feel more comfortable with him being there with you than you being alone with your ex-boyfriend.

'Yes, NYU Health Hospital…. Joaquin, I don't want to both-' 

'Hop in the car.' This man really didn't like it when you thought you were a bother to him. You loved that about Joaquin, he really just wanted to make you feel wanted. 

-

The entire ride to the hospital was mostly silent. This situation was strange to both of you. You were heading to the hospital to visit your ex-boyfriend's dying mother while being accompanied by the man you just met two days ago, and you already had a crush on him. This could not get any weirder.

'Hey, over here!' You heard a voice call when you entered the waiting room, it was Matthew.

You walk over to him while Joaquin follows besides you.

'Matthew, this is my friend Joaquin, he offered to give me a ride here.' You smiled big as you introduced Joaquin to Matthew.

'Nice to meet you, Joaquin. Thank both of you for accompanying me tonight. I really appreciate this, and I know it may be awkward for the two of you, but my mom really needs this.' He wasn't wrong. You know this is going to be awkward for Joaquin, but he really left you with no choice. It's like he refuses to leave your side.

About an hour of waiting, the doctor finally walked in. 'Matthew Hill?' All three of you looked up. The doctor walked over and the three of you prepared for any kind of news. 'Matthew, your mother is stable for now, but she may not have an hour left. If you would like to say your goodbye, then now is the time.' Your stomach turned. Hearing the doctor say these words hurt you so much. You can't even imagine the pain Matthew must be feeling at this moment.

Both you and Matthew headed for his mother's room. Joaquin stayed behind as he felt this was not his moment to be accompanying the both of you.

You both stepped into the room and there she was. Her eyes were closed, she probably got tired of keeping them open for so long.

'Mrs. Hill', you called her name with soft and slow voice, not wanting to alarm her.

'My dear sweetie is that you?' She whispered. She used to always call you her 'dear sweetie'.

'Yes, Mrs. Hill, it's me, your dear sweetie', you hated to see her like this. It made you want to burst into tears even though you knew you couldn't, at least not in front of her.

'My dear sweetie, come here. I need to tell you something', her eyes opened slowly as she reached her hand out for you to hold.

You got closer and held her hand in yours, kneeling down beside her bed. 'I'm here, Mrs. Hill, what do you want to tell me?'

'You're such a sweet angel, you know that? You were always so nice to me and my little baby, Matthew. I know that my life is being cut short by this cancer, but I just want you to know that you'll always live in my heart.' You began to shed tears at her words.

'I just want you to have this necklace that I always longed to give you', she reached into the telemetry heart monitor pocket of her hospital gown and pulled out a beautiful gold necklace with a small heart at the end of it. 

'This necklace was given to me by my mother. She told me to give this to someone special, someone who I thought was worthy of this necklace.' She paused for a while so that she could catch her breath. 

'I choose to give this necklace to you because you have always been such a special young lady. Don't ever forget that you are worth so much.' She handed you the necklace and you held it close to you. Tears continued to stream down your cheeks.

'Mrs. Hill, you don't know how much this means to me. You're like a second mother to me and you giving this to me is... beyond what I can describe.'

...

Moments of exchanging kind words, she began to get more tired. You and Matthew figured this was close to the end. You held her left hand while Matthew held her right hand. All you two could hear was the heart monitor becoming slower and slower.

It wasn't long before you both heard her flatline, there was nothing you two could do anymore. The doctors walked in and turned off the heart monitor so that we wouldn't hear that awful noise. Tears streamed down both your faces. This was such a tough moment.

You went over to Matthew and pulled him in for a hug. He held you tight, sobbing in your shoulders like he had earlier. You felt so bad for him. He was a single child without either of his parents, he was all alone.

After a couple of minutes, you decided to head back to Joaquin. He had been waiting a little over an hour, you felt guilty for making him wait so long especially since neither of you have eaten.

'Joaquin', you called out to him and he looked up at you standing up immediately. 

'Did it happen?' His face was full of worry.

'Yes, Matthew is in the room getting a talk from the doctors. You should eat something', you really were worried for him. He was so skinny and he's on such a strict diet for the role he's playing.

'I'm not really that hungry', his face looked tired. He needed to sleep. 

'We'll get this wrapped up and then we can head out, you look incredibly tired.' He didn't try to fight you on this.

-

As the three of you were heading out of the hospital, Matthew pulled on your arm. 'Can I talk to you... Privately?' You didn't want to make Joaquin feel like an outsider in this relationship but whatever Matthew wanted to say was not of Joaquin's business.

'I just wanted to thank you for accompanying me tonight. This was definitely a really tough moment for me.'

'Of course, you know you can count on me. Just take it easy, I know this will be really difficult for you. If you ever need anything then please don't hesitate to come and find me.' Even though you didn't really want to be associated with him after everything that happened between the two of you in the past, you really felt bad for him right now.

'Thank you… and don't forget to tell your friend I said thank you for being here too. I know you said he's just your friend but the way he cared enough to bring you here and wait this long, I think he's someone really special and you should keep him close.' You were surprised that Matthew would be telling you this, but you accepted it anyways.

You two finally said goodbye and you hopped into Joaquin's car.

He stared outside his window into the dark night.

'Is it okay if I take you somewhere special?' Joaquin's question was odd since it was one in the morning, but you didn't want to let him down once again.

'Anything with you is more than okay', you said with a big smile. Joaquin turned to you and smiled wide as well.

'Buckle up then.'


	4. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joaquin drives you to a special place in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! It's been so long since I've updated. So much has happened these couple of months and I just had to take a break for a while. I really don't know where this story is going but I'll try to update from time to time. Thank you to those that have stuck to this story, it really means a lot!

It was late at night, your eyes were heavy, but you still managed to stay awake. It had been hours since the two of you had left the hospital, the sun had not yet risen despite how late it was. The car ride was quiet. You looked outside and saw no sign of city lights or buildings. You didn't want to ask Joaquin where he was taking you, but you knew it was somewhere away from civilization. 

You turned to look at Joaquin, he looked tired. He turned to look at you and he gave you a small smile. "You hungry?" He asked softly. 

"A little bit”, you said, “but you still haven't eaten." You felt bad that you had cancelled your dinner plans with Joaquin earlier. If anything, he probably hasn't eaten since lunch.

"I made something for the both of us, we can eat it when we get to our destination." He still had a smile on his lips. You suspected he had this trip planned before the whole hospital incident happened. 

It wasn't long before you saw Joaquin pull up to a parking lot, "We're here", he exclaimed.

The two of you got out the car, you could smell the salty air, the sound of waves crashing against the shore. It was still completely dark out, but the scenario was beautiful, nonetheless.

Joaquin grabbed a few bags out of the trunk, "follow me", he said, and you followed. He led you through a dirt trail that led to the beach. The sand was smooth, and the air was just the right temperature, it was summer after all.

He laid out a blanket on the ground and set up a small picnic. You were so surprised by all of this. He had brought you to the beach in the middle of the night to have a picnic.

"Joaquin this is so beautiful..." You didn't know what to say, but you were truly blown away. "This beach is one of my favorite places to come to, it's relaxing and quiet. The best part is that since it's in the middle of nowhere, not a lot of people come to visit, especially during the night."

"Well you really do have an eye for beautiful places."

"And for beautiful people too." He flashed a smile and motioned for you to sit next to him. His eyes were fixated on you as you moved towards him.

"I brought you here because I see something in you that no else has, I don't know what it is." His eyes studied you for a while. "I want to get to know you more."

He unpacked a few sandwiches from his bag, "I made some sandwiches for us, I hope you don't mind them being vegan." 

You took a bite of the sandwich and your eyes widened, "oh my goodness, these sandwiches are delicious!" You said and he laughed. "Thank you, it's an old recipe I learned from my mother, she makes the best food."

"You definitely learned from the best then", you said while enjoying the sandwich.

After a while of chatting, Joaquin stood up and extended his hand towards you, "would you like to go for a swim?" You took his hand and smiled, "of course."

"Wait but I don't have extra clothes", you wouldn't mind getting your clothes wet but the drying part was a long process. "That's okay, I can let you borrow my shirt."

The two of you reached the water, it felt cold at first, but you got used to it. "Look there's a big wave coming, whoever reaches it last has to buy breakfast." He said and you giggled, "I'll thank you for buying me breakfast in advance then", you said while pushing him back. You started making your way up until he grabbed your arm and pushed his way up. "Thinking about how I'll like my breakfast bagel in the morning", he teased.

The wave was moving closer as the two of you advanced up the water. "Gosh, it's so hard to run in water", you exclaimed as you tried to furiously get closer to the wave. "Try walking", he joked. "Very funny."

"Here it comes", he said and the two of you dived under the wave. It was definitely a big strong one, since you two were pushed back quite far. "Who got there first?" You asked since you didn't see who got there first. "I didn't see", he said. "I guess we'll have to split the bill", you joked, and he laughed.

Joaquin dived under the water and pulled your legs, so you'd fall in too. You tried to pull him back down when he tried resurfacing, it was no use since he started to tickle your stomach. The two of you resurfaced while trying to catch your breathes. "You have a tickle spot I see", he said while laughing. "We'll see about that", you said as you tackled him back underwater. 

He tried to fight his way out of your grip but you held onto his arm. He tried to tickle you again, but you slapped his arm away. You couldn't see him since everything was pitch black, but you could feel his legs. You tried to tickle the bottom of his feet, but he got himself loose and he went back up to catch his breathe. You laughed, "was that too harsh", you teased. "No, but you'll get payback for that."

The two of you kept diving under the waves for a while until you grew more tired and out of breath. 

"That was amazing", you said as you both made your way back to the shore. "Late night swims never fail to make a good time."

Joaquin got two towels from his bag and he gave one to you. The two of you sat on the sand and watched the waves keep crashing on the shore. The sun was slowly starting to rise.

"I'm glad I got to spend time with you this weekend", Joaquin said while turning to look at you. "I'm glad too", you told him while flashing him a smile. This man really did make you feel so comfortable. He was a man that you could trust to tell any secret even if he was a stranger. "We should do this again one day", you told him. He turned to you and smiled, "We should."

-

It had been hours later, and Joaquin was driving you back home. Nothing you had ever done had matched that experience with him. It was something so small but so special.

Joaquin got out of the car to take you back to your apartment. "I really had a great time with you, Joaquin", you told him with a soft smile. "I had a great time with you as well", he returned the smile. Before letting you back inside he leaned in and kissed your cheek. You could immediately feel yourself blush. Did he really just do that? You smiled at his small action. "I guess I'll be seeing you soon?" He asked. "Meet me here tomorrow for breakfast", you told him, and he nodded while getting back in his car. "I'll be here at 8 am...", he smiled, "for breakfast", and with that he drove off. 

You could still feel the heat on your cheeks. You opened the door to your apartment, and you leaned against it while sliding down. 

You were wearing his shirt and his scent made you feel all kinds of butterflies in your stomach.

You were so in love with him.


End file.
